A. Field of Invention
The invention relates to the field of patio stones and more specifically to heated patio stones and a system for interlocking heated patio stones.
B. Description of the Related Art
Heated driveways have been around for several decades in order to help facilitate the management of ice and snow. From downward inclined driveways for underground parking to standard non-inclined household driveways and walkways, these heated systems have helped prevent car accidents, reduced slipping and falling and assisted in snow and ice removal. Previous attempts have been made in order to find new and inventive ways to create and manufacture systems capable of doing the aforementioned tasks. Such systems include U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,653 (Samuels) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,971 (Hanley). Hanley's invention includes an apparatus to heat a driveway using a fluid serpentine conduit powered by a solar panel. This serpentine conduit is below the driveway and gets heated by means of the solar panel. Unfortunately, this device is primarily utilized for driveways; it is inconvenient to accommodate smaller surfaces that require less heating. On the other hand, Samuels' invention includes a method and apparatus for maintaining the driveway clear of ice and snow. This device has a plurality of electric heating devices along the driveway to melt ice and snow. However, these devices can be cumbersome as they are not under or part of the concrete itself, therefore heating the driveway by means of heat sources heating an outer thermal panel.
In a similar field, heated tiles have also been prominent in some homes—usually in tiled rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms—serving to add comfort when walking. Previous attempts have also been made in this field in order to construct and manufacture heated tiles, such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,831 (Choi). Choi's invention comprises of an airtight sealed chamber beneath the tiled floor, whereby an electric heater heats the air within, thus warming the concrete plate above it. Unfortunately, this system is utilized for indoors and is not suitable for outdoor environments.
As such, there is a need for a device that can overcome the drawbacks described above. These features of the invention will be apparent from review of the disclosure, drawings and description of the invention below.